Jin Air passengers top 10 million

Jin Air, a budget carrier owned by Korean Air, said Monday that its accumulative passenger numbers have surpassed the crucial 10 million mark.
The low-cost carrier launched operation in July 2008, with the first B737-800 aircraft connecting Seoul’s Gimpo and the resort island of Jejudo. The number of passengers hit the 5 million mark in February 2012.

Jin Air’s stunning growth over the past years is attributed especially to the lucrative Gimpo-Jeju route as it claimed 15.1 percent market share.

A total of 1.72 million passengers used Jin Air to travel to Jeju between January and November last year ― the largest figure by a low-cost carrier and the third after the nation’s two largest airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

(jylee@heraldcorp.com)